coarse
English
Etymology
Adjectival use of course, diverging therefrom in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. Compare the development of mean.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kôs, IPA(key): /kɔːs/
- (General American) enPR: kôrs, IPA(key): /kɔːɹs/
- (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: kōrs, IPA(key): /ko(ː)ɹs/
- (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA(key): /koəs/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)s
- Homophone: course
Adjective
coarse (comparative coarser, superlative coarsest)
- Composed of large parts or particles; of inferior quality or appearance; not fine in material or close in texture.
- Lacking refinement, taste or delicacy
- coarse manners
- coarse language
Usage notes
- Nouns to which "coarse" is often applied: language, particle, grain, graining, sand, powder, gravel, grit, salt, gold, thread, hair, cloth, grid, aggregate, texture, grass, fish, angling, fishing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (of inferior quality): fine
Derived terms
Translations
containing large particles
of inferior quality
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not refined
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- coarse in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- coarse in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- coarse at OneLook Dictionary Search
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